Choose Me
by ilovetvalot
Summary: Morgan/Garcia multi-chapter follow-up to "A Matter of Taste". And a friendly appearance by Joe the Bartender from "The Bartender Tales". The vanilla vs. chocolate battle continues to rage. Co-auth'd w/tonnie2001969
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Revisit Joe the Bartender in this followup to "A Matter of Taste". Hope you enjoy!**_

**Choose Me**

**Chapter One**

Sighing deeply at the pitiful sight sitting before him, Joe O'Leary narrowed his eyes on the bald man as he said, shaking his head, "Laddie, don't you think you've about had your limit? Tis a shame to waste such good Guinness on a hangover in the making, you know."

"Joe, Joe, Joe," Derek Morgan muttered, his hand wrapped possessively around the neck of the beer bottle, his eyes bleary as he focused on the grey-headed man behind the counter. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not enough until you can't remember any more? I can still think, man, so keep 'em comin' til last call."

Shaking his head as he reached out and pulled the heavy bottle from the younger man's hand, Joe said firmly, "Look around, my boy. Last call was half an hour ago."

Turning unsteadily on the cushioned bar stool, Morgan tried to focus on the green streamers in the almost empty bar as he muttered, "Hey! Where'd everybody go? It's St. Patty's Day! I'm here to party!"

"Ach, it appears your party might have ended earlier tonight, before you ever darkened my doors," Joe observed with a nod, tucking Derek's half-filled bottle out of sight under the bar as he deftly eased a cup of coffee in front of the confused man.

Wincing as the strong odor of the freshly brewed coffee wafted in his nose, Morgan propped his elbows on the polished bar as he muttered, "Shoulda never let her have the vanilla ice cream."

Wondering if the young man had imbibed far more than he had first thought, Joe stopped his evening clean up as he leaned in front of his long-time patron. "Derek? What's that you said, son?"

Raising his eyes slowly to meet the kind barkeep's, Derek asked almost sadly, "How could she choose vanilla over chocolate? How, Joe? How?"

"Come again?" Joe asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I'd give her any kind of sundae she wants. I'd even let her add the god-awful strawberry syrup she likes...but no...it's a plain old vanilla diet. Blech!" Morgan said, sticking out his tongue as he widened his eyes at the thought.

"You cark on me bar and you'll be feelin' my wrath, Derek," Joe said firmly, shoving the saucer and mug under his nose. "Drink that," he ordered sternly as he tapped the china, reaching behind him for his trusty address book. No way the lad could find his own way home this eve.

"She's a Rocky Road kinda girl, Joey," Morgan muttered, eyeing the dark brew in front of him broodingly, his eyes diving into the depths. "Occasionally, I've seen her dip into a little Berrilicious Banana...but never freaking vanilla, man!"

Sighing deeply as he shook his head, Joe tapped a finger against the saucer again. "Coffee, Derek, my boy. I'm calling you a cab."

"We gotta convince her that she needs the chocolate in her diet, Joey," Morgan continued rambling, ignoring the old bartender's commands. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he grumbled, heavily, "I know my Baby Girl; she can't exist on that bland vanilla flavor for long. She'll waste away. And I love those curves, man!"

Raising a bushy grey brow, Joe murmured, concerned, "Ye've just not gone round the bend, but o'er the mountain, too. What in the name of bloody hell are you talkin' bout, Derek?"

"Mama, dude! Penelope! She wants vanilla!" Morgan groaned, lifting bleary eyes to those of his friendly neighborhood bartender cum therapist. "Look at this body, Joey!" he said, holding his muscular arms wide, flexing his muscles. "I'm chocolate. The chicks dig chocolate. My baby girl always loved the chocolate. 'Til she had her head turned by fucking vanilla bean," Derek shuddered, the mental image of Penelope and Kevin Garcia once again horribly filling his besotted mind.

"Mayhap the chocolate gave the lass a toothache," Joe theorized. Leaning forward, he whispered conspiratorially, his eyes knowing, "And a heartache, too, aye?"

"Fuck!" Derek moaned, his head cracking against the polished surface of the bar with a thud. "Joe, man, I'm screwed. Fucking screwed. I was a fucking player. And I was good, too. I had mad skills. Now..."

Lifting Derek's bald head enough to slip a bunched rag underneath to cushion his hard skull, Joe sighed and looked down at his patron with compassion. "Buck up, Lad! 'Tisn't over 'til it's over. There's still time to convince the bonny lass that the chocolate ice cream is best."

"How, Joey?" Morgan whined, his words muffled by the towel beneath him, his head beating in rhythm with his pounding heart.

"Well, for beginners, quit callin' me Joey, lad!" Joe ordered, thumping the back of his black bald head in warning. Seeing the young man's noggin bounce against the padding, he continued, "And then, you get your arse to the lass and tell 'er how you feel. Quit bein' a whinin' coward and tell the gal true," Joe demanded with a frown. "You been skirt chasin' for years while the perfect lass waited for you. Can't blame her for gettin' a wee bit impatient, can you?"

"I need a 'nother drink, Joey," Morgan begged, his voice hoarsening as he tried to swallow against the sudden cotton that filled his mouth.

"Bah! You need a swift kick in the arse, is what you need!" Joe blustered, snapping Morgan's gleaming head with a towel. "Sit ye up and drink the coffee. I'm callin' ye a cab."

"Don't wanna go home," Morgan mumbled, rubbing his forehead against the damp bar towel.

"Oh, I'm not sendin' ye home," Joe muttered, reaching for his phone and dialing the familiar taxi service that had served him well in the past.

"Where am I going then?" Morgan asked, lifting his head wearily as Joe punched the buttons on his cordless.

"To hell if'n ye don't change those treacherous ways," Joe snapped succinctly, his tone brooking no argument as he remembered the suffering his little Penny had been subjected to at the hands of this man. "But in the short term, I'll be sendin' ye to the only person I trust to watch after ye. I've served my time in babysitting hell."

And thirty crazy minutes later, Morgan found himself staring at a familiar door. Had he really allowed Joe to convince him that this was a good idea? Shaking his head, he told himself to walk away, stumble back down the four flights of stairs that he'd just crawled up and make his way home. But staring at the brightly painted wooden door in front of him, he couldn't seem to make his legs work. Resting his forehead against the unforgiving wood, he barely resisted the urge to pound his head against it. He needed to leave her in peace. Allow her to enjoy whatever happiness she'd found with Vanilla Man. And he'd almost convinced himself to step away.

Only suddenly he found the stabilizing door disappearing from his grasp and he was falling. Was this his final descent into hell? But as he opened his eyes, he stared confusedly into the bright gaze of the only woman on the planet that had ever seen the real him.

"Derek Thaddeus Morgan! What the hell has gotten into you?" she growled, glaring down at his prone body sprawled across her pink fuzzy Hello Kitty slippers. Nudging him with a less than gentle foot as he stared up at her with wide eyes, she huffed, propping a hand on her neon pink hips, "Still waiting up here, Hot Stuff!"

"Choose me, Mama," Derek whispered, his eyes pleading with the only woman he'd ever truly loved.


	2. Chapter 2

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Two**

"I'm gonna choose you, alright," Penelope declared stridently, pushing at his shoulder with her fuzzy-covered foot as he rolled against the carpeted floor. "I'm gonna choose to wallop you across that hard head of yours if you wake up my neighbor across the hall. Again! Mrs. Stallingworth's not forgiven me yet for the last time you came traipsin' up those stairs at the bewitching hour!"

Rolling over onto his shoulder, Derek moaned as he pushed up, trying to escape her well-aimed kick. "Give me a moment, Mama! Please!"

Huffing as she reached down to yank his linen shirt, Penelope gritted her teeth as she muttered to herself, "If I wasn't such a kind soul, I'd kick your inebriated gorgeous butt right back down to the curb!"

Struggling to pull up on the edge of the door, Morgan finally found himself half-way steady on his feet as he stared into those flashing gorgeous eyes that had drawn him into their depths over and over again. Plopping a hand on her robe-covered shoulder, he mumbled, appropriately contrite, "I woke you up, huh?"

Propelling him forward into her small living room, kicking the door shut behind her, Penelope shook her dog eared hair as she answered, sarcastically, "Oh no, the phone call that I received from our friendly corner bartender woke me up. You just happened to be the reason for the call, my dark Chocolate God of Thunder."

"Joey called you?" Morgan asked dumbly, staring down at her as he weaved on his feet, the colorful room seeming to spin counterclockwise despite his best efforts to stop it.

"Yeah, Joe called," Penelope snorted, keeping her hand tightly on his muscled arm as she felt him sway. "Said you wouldn't quit rambling about ice cream," she informed him with a roll of her bright eyes, sighing at his shenanigans. "For God's sake, Derek, these benders of yours have got to stop." Grabbing a lapel on his jacket, she propelled him toward the overstuffed lime green couch and shoved him down unmercifully. "Even if you don't think you're too old to go on them, I'M too old to keep nursing you through them!"

"Sorry, mama. It's just...you hate vanilla," he mumbled, his bald aching head dropping back against the overstuffed upholstery. "Fucking bland ass shit. You need some flavor."

Groaning, Pen rolled her eyes again, beginning to feel like a kindergarten teacher with a room full of sugar-hyped students. "God, Joe was right. You are three sheets to the wind tonight!" she accused, throwing up her hands as she moved toward her bedroom. "Just sit there! I'm gonna find the clothes you left here last time and you're gonna take a long hot shower. Then, you're off to dreamland, my chocolate Adonis," she ordered over her shoulder, stifling a yawn as she pushed through the beaded doorway.

"That's right!" he said, jabbing a drunken finger into the air, twirling it ceremoniously. "Chocolate, Princess! Don't you forget it. It's the finer flavor!" he yelled after her, attempting to focus on her disappearing figure. "Better than white bread vanilla any day of the fuckin' week!" he babbled, leaning precariously over the end of the sofa as he tried to toe off his shoes.

"Derek!" Penelope groaned, walking back into the room, her arms filled with his flannel pants and oversized tee shirt. "What in the name of Bill Gates' first motherboard are you doing?" she asked wide-eyed as her favorite hunky profiler stood and haphazardly stripped his shirt over his head.

"I'm showin' you the chocolate, Baby Girl. All this nice dark hard chocolate...all for you!" he exclaimed, throwing his shirt at her playfully as he danced in a circle.

"Where's a video camera when you need one?" Penny asked out loud, fighting giggles as the man in front of her tried to complete his impromptu strip show. Would have been a good one, too....if his jeans hadn't tangled at his knees, sending him sprawling at her feet again. "Derek!" Pen choked, staring down in exasperation at his sudden prone figure, "What in THE hell, dude?"

"Howdy!" he said cheerfully, wriggling his fingers in a wave as his glassy eyes grinned up at her.

"Derek Morgan, either get your ass out of my floor or I'm calling your mother," Penelope threatened as he playfully bit her ankle. Shaking her leg as he popped a wet kiss to her offended skin, Penelope hissed, "Quit that! What are you? A rat terrier?"

"Would you let me hump your leg if I was?" Derek grinned wickedly, his shoulders pulling up off the uncomfortable floor as he inched toward her again.

Grabbing his arm with an unladylike snort, Penelope huffed as she jerked him upright, "Not without a rabies shot."

"Ouch, that hurts, Mama," Morgan whined, resting his head on her shoulder, rubbing his cheek against the nubby terrycloth, drinking in the hovering fragrance of strawberries and honeysuckle that had always made him think of her.

"I'm gonna hurt you," Pen growled, turning him toward the bathroom, giving him a not-gentle push. "Go shower! You stink like a brewery!"

Snagging her hand, Derek tugged her with him. "You gotta come, too!"

"What the hell do you need me for, Derek? You know where everything is," Penelope complained as he dragged her across the room.

"What if I fall? What if the chocolate starts to melt, baby? I'll need you to lick it all up," he smiled wickedly, cupping her hips and pulling her against him. "Chocolate gets hot a whole lot faster than plain little Vanilla," he said, suggestively wriggling against her as she tried to escape.

"What the hell is this knew obsession with ice cream?" Pen asked, torn between laughter and wanting to pull her hair out, strand by strand. How was it that she only felt like this around this man?

"I just think you need to expand your flavor base," Derek murmured knowingly, nodding his head in what he hoped was a solemn manner. He wanted her to take him seriously, didn't he?

Pressing a hand against his chest, Penelope shoved him backward into the small bright bathroom, his bare feet plopping against the tile floor. "Take a shower, Agent Asshole. Get sober! Then we'll talk," she said, reaching for the door knob.

"Can I at least have my rubber ducky?" she heard him whine loudly as she closed the door firmly on his crestfallen face.

"And they call me the crazy one," Pen muttered, heading toward her small kitchen. And her very large coffeepot.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that has taken time to read, review and alert this story. Tonnie and I really appreciate it. Please let us know what you think. We love hearing from each of you. As ever, we don't own Criminal Minds._**

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Three**

Cinching her heavy robe tighter against her waist, Penelope Garcia stomped into her small kitchen, her footsteps definitely loud enough to wake the new neighbors that had just moved in below. Quietening her footfalls as she remembered that, she could only hope that she hadn't succeeded in alienating half the building because she had dared to be friends with an infuriating, exasperating, absolutely make-her-want-to-pull-out-her-red-and-blonde-hair hunk of a man.

Flicking the coffee pot into place with a smack of glass against the burner, she easily measured the robust coffee, throwing in a couple of extra scoops for good measure. By the show she had just been subjected to, It would obviously do that jackass good to drink sludge that was extra-caffeinated.

What in the name of all Gandalf held holy was that man thinking? Honestly, she was well-accustomed to his momentary lapses of sanity, his midnight trips to her apartment not that uncommon at one time. But it had been months since he had showed up like this, and never had he been obviously delusional as he was now. Reaching for a set of mugs as she deeply inhaled the brewing coffee, Penelope could only be thankful that Joe had given her a heads up. She must remember to repay that man. Although, she though darkly, tapping her fingers impatiently against the counter as she caught a sudden noise, it was her that owed the thanks. Mr. I'm-singing-at –the-top-of-my-lungs was the one who owed the debt.

Grabbing the box of Oreos that she hadn't yet opened, Penelope softly padded back into her small living room, dropping them onto the side table just as she heard the water stop. It's about time, she thought with a sigh, hoping the coffee was finished. The man probably waterlogged himself, not having the sense God gave a goose to keep his mouth closed with the shower beat on that fool head of his.

A minute later, she was pouring the coffee as she heard as sudden crash, followed by a loud but muffled curse. Cursing herself as she banged the cup onto the counter, she called out, "I swear, Derek Morgan, if you've broken my towel rod, I'm gonna wallop you so far back your Mama's gonna have to conceive you all over again!" Snapping open the door to the tiny bath, she plopped her hands on her hips as she demanded, staring down at his disgruntled face, "What in the world?"

Sitting in the middle of the tiny floor, his head resting on the edge of the toilet, Derek Morgan looked down at the baggy hems of the flannel pants as he declared, indignantly, "These are not my pants, woman! They tripped me on purpose!"

"What?" Pen yelped in disbelief, the sight of Derek Morgan sprawled once more on one of her floors enough to almost pull another grin from her. Almost.

Getting unsteadily to his feet, Derek wagged an accusing finger in her direction. "You gave me Vanilla's pants, didn't you? Of course you did," he muttered, looking down his long legs. "They've got fucking Transformers on 'em!" Grasping the elastic, he shoved them violently back down his legs, stomping on the pooled material at his feet. "Friggin' boring as vanilla," he growled, jumping, naked as the day he was born, on top of the bunched material. "Chocolate can kick your bland ass!"

Jaw dropping, Penelope's eyes widened as she watched the meltdown happening in front of her. Was her very nude best friend in the world actually throwing a temper tantrum that would put her godson, Henry, to shame? Blinking rapidly, she looked again. Yep! That was him, ding-a-ling flapping in the air. And damn, what a weenie it was! No wonder the girls.....

Wait! Focus, Penelope! Now wasn't the time for illicit thoughts...no matter how tempting the urge to simply sit on the floor and watch the show was. She had neighbors...and if her stomps around her house hadn't woken them, this sure the hell would do the job.

"Derek!" she said sharply, drawing his attention. "You're naked!"

Turning to face her head on, Derek wasn't so drunk that he didn't notice his Baby Girl's flushed cheeks and glittering eyes. He knew that look...that gleam. Hell, he'd played this game long enough to know that was carnal interest reflected in her eyes. "Like what you see, Princess?" he asked with a wicked smile. Rolling his hips in his best practiced moves, he winked, "Tell me this doesn't look like some gourmet chocolate. All you got to do is come take a bite. You'll be hooked. Promise!"

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Penelope asked blankly, her hands flapping in front of her. "Cover yourself up this instant!" she demanded sharply, a heated flush climbing up her body as he seemed to lengthen and thicken before her very eyes.

"You really have been on a vanilla diet too long if you can't recognize premium chocolate any more, Mama," he grumbled, hands going to his hips as he stood proudly in front of her, definitely not hiding what he considered to be prominent assets. Turning, he shook his rock hard ass at her as he grinned over his shoulder. "Come on, Sweetness. Take a bite out of this."

Falling back against the door frame in surprise, Penelope shook her head in shock at the display before her. Never in six years of their loving friendship had Derek Morgan ever rendered her speechless. She'd thought after all this time there was simply nothing left that he could do that would render her incapable of forming coherent thought. She supposed that's what she got for being cocky. Whoops! Bad word choice! Bad word choice!

Licking her lips as he continued his raunchy dance in front of her, his dark body swaying seductively, she forced herself to straighten. She had a guy, didn't she? A really nice guy. A little boring, but nice. Kind. Considerate. Perfectly respectable. And, hey, these quivery feelings coursing through her at the sight of Derek's glistening body gyrating to an invisible beat had to be an illusion, didn't they? She wasn't really becoming hot and bothered by her best friend. Her best friend that she'd harbored more than one steamy fantasy about over their years together. Couldn't be. Could she?

But as he turned to her again, dancing his way toward her, she felt her mouth go dry as he pressed against her. Nope, couldn't deny the evidence right in front of her, could she? She was turned on. And now they really had a massive problem.

In more ways than one.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay…the Easter holiday took a toll. Let us know your thoughts!**_

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Four**

Placing a firm hand against his solid chest, Penelope gulped, loudly, as she demanded, "Derek Morgan, what do you think you're doing?"

Grinning widely as he shimmied his body against hers, that terrycloth robe of hers rubbing in just the right places, he grinned as he threw his arms out wide. "I'm giving you a choice, Princess! Isn't that what every woman wants? Freedom to choose the best there is!"

"Damn it, Morgan, what ARE you talking about?" Penelope moaned as he moved behind her, pulling her out into the open space of her living room as he danced behind her, his gyrating hips bouncing against her. Turning to glare over her shoulder, she hissed above his incessant humming, "Quit that before I…"

His eyebrows wriggling as her words faded off and a blush covered her cheeks, he ran a quick finger across her chin and down her pale neck as he teased, "Before what, Penelope? Surely all that boring, plain vanilla's not ruined your taste buds, has it?"

"What's wrong with vanilla?" Penelope moaned as his hands on her shoulders turned her around, her eyes automatically drawn to his more prominent appendage. Hoarsely, she muttered, half-reminding herself, "I happen to like vanilla!"

Watching as she licked her lips, the dim living room light bouncing off the moist tip of her tongue, Morgan felt his libido gain more steam as he grinned. "Oh, but you'll LOVE chocolate, baby girl."

"I happen to know that chocolate is more often than not the cause of most cavities in America," Penelope retorted, stiffening her shoulders as she glared at him. Get it together, Penelope, she warned herself. "Ask any dentist," she ordered, jabbing a finger into his solid chest and a throw pillow against that very prominent piece of anatomy he was currently waving around.

"Oommpphhh!" Derek grunted, bending forward as he clutched the pillow to his abused organ. "Damn, Mama, you're givin' a whole new meaning to ChocoBlast," he groaned, licking his lips as he stared at the multi-color carpet on her living room floor.

"I'm gonna blast you," Pen snorted, taking a step back from his still damp body, sternly ordering herself to ignore how his rippled muscles looked underneath that thin sheen of water. "And would you stop referring to yourself as a piece of chocolate?" she growled, her eyes studiously averted to the side. Before I give into temptation and sink my teeth in for a bite, she added silently.

Dropping the thin pillow back on the couch, Morgan held his arms aloft and made a small circle. "Seriously, Princess, you aren't at all interested in this?"

Please, God, she begged silently as she couldn't stop her eyes from seeking his body once again, don't let me salivate in front of him. Just keep the drool inside my mouth! Just this once.

"Whether I'm interested or not, you're drunk and I'm in a relationship with..."

"Vanilla! I know!" Derek snapped petulantly, dropping his naked ass to her overstuffed couch, the cushions caving slightly at his sudden weight.

Oh, in the name of Dell computers everywhere, how was it possible that Derek Morgan sat on her couch, hot, hard, horny and pouting while naked as a jaybird? Closing her eyes she ordered herself to wake up. Time to wake up, Penelope! Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!

But try as she might, the scene surrounding her had not magically altered when she reopened her eyes. In fact, considering Derek Morgan had assumed a pose that would make a Playgirl fan proud to be a subscriber, if anything, it had gotten worse. Where was her camera when she needed it? And he was still wearing the shitty grin. Damn him and his handsome hiney.

"Derek," Penelope said enunciating slowly, taking a proactive step backwards lest she take a flying leap across the room, "I've got a boyfriend. His name is Kevin. Remember?"

"Yeah," Derek bobbed his head, propping his chin in his hand as he watched her with glittering eyes, "I remember. I call him Va-nil-la," he sang, the name definitely not meant to be a compliment.

"I call you a drunken sooootttttt," she sang back, equally off key, her hands landing on her hips again as she wondered how she could be so titillated and pissed off at the same time. angry

"Might be slightly inebriated," he shrugged, not bothering to deny what he knew was obviously a given. "Still know who I want though. And I know what you need. A hell of a lot more chocolate in your diet."

Sighing heavily as she slipped a coffee mug under his nose, Penelope dropped into the arm chair, tightening her robe even though her first urge was to start removing clothing. It had suddenly grown much warmer in her apartment, hadn't it?

"Why you sittin' so far away, Princess?" Derek whined, his lower lip pouting out in a manner he knew just drove the honeys wild. "It's hard to play hide the puddin' pop from way over there," he complained grumpily.

"We're not hiding anything tonight, Hot Stuff," she denied grimly as her cheeks blushed again. Damned fair skin. She was making an appointment immediately to spend the next month in the nearest and first available tanning bed.

"You're blushing," Derek teased, wagging a finger at her as he grinned, adding that creeping pink tinge to his list of things he loved about that woman.

"You will be, too, once I send the pictures out," she threatened with a wide smile, picking up her cell phone from the table and snapping wildly, angling her hands as she got the best pictures.

"Hey!" Morgan yelped, lunging for his pillow again, not wanting little Derek to be overexposed to the entire world.

Waving the phone at him, Penelope smiled gleefully. "Insurance, my pet!! Now, let's get down to brass tacks?"

"Hmmm," Derek hummed, his eyes widening appreciatively. "Kinky. I like it, Mama."

"Mind OUT of the gutter, my hunky profiling pistol," she chirped.

"Well, you got that right! I'd like to bang - bang YOU," Derek flirted, winking at her as he dropped the pillow again, throwing his arms across the back of the sofa as he gave her a perfect view of exactly what she had been missing.

"Enough," Penelope roared, covering her hot face with her hands, peeking through her fingers. "You and I need to negotiate."

"I'm intrigued, Mama. What are the stakes?" Derek asked with twinkling eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Just a little shout out to three of my favorite authors who've decided to enact a little prompt of their own. Angel N Darkness, LacytheDemonicDuck, and Princess Aletheia have created a Song Title Prompt List for the H/P lovers out there. Check it out at .net/forum/Song_Title_Prompts/73635/**

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Five**

Swallowing hard, Penelope licked her lips as she slowly dropped her fingers from her traitorous face as she said firmly, "No stakes, Derek Morgan. Just a small experiment. A bit of research to satisfy our unanswered questions."

"You wanna check out my test tube, sweetness?" Morgan said brightly, wriggling his eyebrows as he leaned forward, whispering confidentially, "Just for you, I'll even let you play with my Bunsen burner. And trust me, baby girl, the flames already on high and burning hot!"

"Quit that!" she moaned, waving both hands in the air as she tried to cool her heated cheeks, glancing longingly at the thermostat on the other side of the room. Since when did her apartment become so, so overheated? Gulping, she chastised, "I was trying to be serious for once."

Attempting to school his features into a fair resemblance of solemn thoughtfulness, Derek nodded as he said, "By all means. Please continue, beautiful." But he managed to ruin the illusion with the bright gleam in his eyes and the obvious excitement of his very visible body.

Pushing up off her safely-far-away chair, Garcia eased onto the other end of her sofa as she muttered, wondering if she was even capable of rational thought anymore, "What if we just kiss, Derek? Maybe once we get it out of our system, we'll find that there's nothing at all between us."

"Hell, babe, stop it right there. You already know you're full of shit," Morgan snorted, rolling his eyes as he threw his hands up in the air. "There hasn't been one day in all the years we've known each other that there hasn't been something between us. We might have ignored it…tried to pretend it didn't exist…but it was THERE. You knew it. I knew it. Hell, the fucking Bureau knows it. Personally, I'm tired of fighting it," he muttered with finality, wrapping his warm hands around her robe-covered arms and hauling her against his hard, damp body. "Christ, sweetness, we've both stood around and watched the other one go to Baskin Robbins too many times to count. But that damn vanilla cone finally broke me. Because you deserve better. You deserve a life filled with decadent flavor. A life filled with color. You deserve more than vanilla," he whispered, his hot breath teasing her parted lips as his hands started to wander lower and lower.

Moaning as Derek's wicked tongue stroked her lower lip erotically, Pen whispered hoarsely, "What are you doing, Derek?"

"You said you wanted a kiss, Mama?" he reminded her huskily as his fingers swept under the collar of her robe. "An experiment, remember?" he breathed, sucking her top lip into his mouth. Damn, she tasted sweet. Like cotton candy on a hot summer day. And he couldn't get enough. Slipping inside her mouth to tangle his tongue around hers, he groaned as their lips slid sensuously together. Feeling. Tasting. Savoring.

Quivering against his flushed body, Penelope felt a heat rising deep inside her that she hadn't felt in so long that its unexpected appearance startled her. "Oh, God," she gasped as Derek's lips slid from her lips down her cheek to tease her neck, the mere touch of this skin to hers seeming to melt away at her senses.

"Not quite," Derek murmured, unwilling to give up the contact for much longer words. "But I appreciate the vote of confidence," he added with a chuckle, pressing the flat of his tongue against her pale skin, almost lapping at the deliciousness.

"Derek, this isn't a good idea," Pen moaned, shifting against him as a ripple of pleasure flowed over her as his lips found that sensitive spot just behind her ear. How was it that this man knew all her hidden erogenous zones without even touching her before, but her boyfriend couldn't find them with a roadmap and GPS? Life wasn't fair, she inwardly complained as she tried to even remember what that other man looked like. But his face wouldn't even come to mind, her thoughts decidedly focused in an entirely new direction.

Oh, no, she told herself firmly. This would not do. She couldn't let herself sink into this luscious wonderfulness, no matter how much her turncoat body wanted to.

Bringing her hands to his solid muscular chest, Penelope's intention was to push him away, to gain some control in a rapidly spinning world. Right up until her soft hands landed against that firm flesh and then…oh my freaking God! He was truly hard everywhere. It was like he was expertly sculpted with steel. And she meant EVERYWHERE!

"Damn, Baby Girl," Morgan growled against the exposed skin above Pen's gown as he felt her fingers wrap around his hard manhood. Burying his nose between her breasts as he leaned her backwards, he inhaled deeply as her fingers slowly swept up and down his length, slowly learning his body. "You don't play fair," he accused hoarsely, pushing himself into her touch, those amazing fingers playing him just as expertly as she had ever hacked any hidden database.

'Oh, sweet mother of God!' Pen's mind screamed, on the verge of a full blown short circuit. What the hell was she doing? Here…beneath her best friend's heavy body…her hand wrapped around his…his….ice cream cone. Moaning to herself as her eyes closed, she complained, 'Christ! Now he's got me talking in ice cream metaphors!'

Growling roughly as he felt her body softening against his, Derek moved his lips back to hers, plundering the opportunity offered by her parted, panting mouth. A man could completely lose himself in those perfect, soft lips, her tongue meeting his thrust for thrust in an almost perfect rhythm.

"Derek," Penelope moaned as she tried to pull back, squeezing his muscular shoulders in an effort to gain his undivided attention. "We've got to slow down for a minute and think about this," she begged, needing to slow this raging freight train before they overheated completely.

Burying his head against her soft neck, Derek released a frustrated groan as he stroked his hands against her, his mind barely able to keep up a running conversation while his body was focused on other areas. "Baby Girl, we've been goin' slow for six years. Let's just make sundaes and worry about belly aches tomorrow," he said, his voice slowing before dropping his head heavily against her shoulder.

Plopping her head back against the cushioned arm of her couch, Penelope squeezed her eyes closed, forcing herself to rise above the protesting cries of her aching body as she took a moment to think. Maybe he was right…maybe it was time to just gorge herself on the chocolate she craved and see if it was just a passing urge. A passing SIX YEAR urge? She had to laugh at herself at that ridiculous notion. Not likely. Derek Morgan was going to be an addiction she never managed to beat. She just knew it.

Shifting sensuously underneath him, Penelope nodded, her hair bouncing against the sofa as she promised her body just one more second until utter bliss. "You're right, Derek. Show me how filling chocolate can be," she suggested wickedly, only to be met with silence. Pressing her chin against his forehead, she nudged, "Derek?"

Gaining no response from the man resting against her, Pen slid a hand down his back, cupping his firm ass. Still nothing. Sliding her hand around to the front of his body, Pen cupped her would-be lover intimately. Damn! Somebody had gone and left the door to his freezer wide open, she thought bitterly. Because her chocolate had sure the hell melted!

Life really wasn't fair!


	6. Chapter 6

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Six**

Huffing disgustedly, a mixture of anger and lust competing for dominance in her mind, Penelope Garcia stared down at the obviously sleeping face of her so-called Chocolate God of Thunder. Okay, Garcia, she snapped to herself, surveying the situation, there's no use crying over spilt chocolate milk. Or melted ice cream. The only thing to do now is make the best out of an obviously not-so-hot situation.

Sliding carefully off the edge of the couch, her legs wiggling out from under his firm, toned, _sleeping_ body, she pushed his shoulder, not gently, toward the back cushions. Hearing him sigh in his sleep, Garcia gave a grunt of her own as she took one last, lascivious look at the flavoricious treat lying before her.

Lying sleeping before her, she reminded herself as she shook her colorful head, unceremoniously tossing a soft throw over him. No use letting him get cold now, she thought darkly, seeing as how everything important had already melted.

This is for the best, she informed herself as she flipped off the side lamp, throwing a pillow at his head as she stomped out of the room. Otherwise, she might have foundered herself on delectable chocolate, and completely forgotten that vanilla was a perfectly acceptable treat. But even as she slipped through the beads leading to her bedroom, she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, her tongue still begging to taste that forbidden indulgence.

Padding into her bedroom, she only knew one thing with certainty. Whatever convoluted relationship she'd thought she had with Kevin Lynch, it wasn't what it was supposed to be. She'd never experienced a tenth of the volatile emotions with him that she felt with the hunky piece of chocolate candy currently passed out cold on her sofa. And after feeling passion in Derek Morgan's arms, she had no doubt that whatever she shared with Kevin was a far cry from what it should have been. But then, a part of her had always known that.

Glancing at the clock, she knew it was too late to do anything about it tonight. Or too early...however you wanted to look at it. She was pretty certain that it violated some kind of ethical code to wake somebody up just to break up with them.

Groaning as she crawled back into her bed, throwing her robe over the footboard as one lonely bunny slipper fell to the floor, she realized that her body still tingled. Damn Derek and his animal magnetism. And as she closed her eyes, Garcia smiled, her frustration giving way to a slight bit of humor. One thing was for sure...she was never going to let him forget that his ice cream scoop had fallen off the cone.

*********

Groaning as he flipped on the uncomfortable surface he laid on, Derek Morgan wondered if he'd somehow found his way into the desert with sand filling his mouth. Cracking open one bleary eye, he immediately recognized his surroundings. But why was he conked out flat on this torture device that his baby girl had the audacity to call a sofa? He had promised himself after spending multiple nights on it after the entire Battle fiasco that he would personally tip it off her balcony before he voluntarily ever spent another night on it.

Blinking slowly as he tried to force his mind into some form of thinking gear, he tried to swallow, only to find his tongue literally stuck to the roof of his mouth. Pushing up with a grunt, the pillow that had somehow ended up on his head fell to the floor as he dropped his feet unsteadily against the worn carpet. Stretching his foot out, he felt his toe touch something soft, his eyes widening as he glanced down at the fluffy bunny slipper. And if he wasn't mistaken, those bobble rabbit eyes were staring back at him in some sort of cottontail condemnation.

Now what had he done to upset the bunny rabbits? All he did last night was have a few drinks at Joe's, then …then…then…

Oh. My. God. Surely he hadn't done what his befuddled memory was telling him he had. Had he?

Dropping back against the overstuffed sofa cushions with a loud groan, he stared up at her spackled ceiling as he muttered, hoarsely, "Please God, just rapture me on out before that woman gets her mitts on me."

"Oh, my little Love Muffin, God doesn't want a sinner like you and the Devil's afraid you'll steal his job. I'm afraid you're stuck on this earthly plane with the Goddess of Divine Punishments," Penelope drawled from the doorway of her bedroom, the long strands of beads dangling against her shoulders. "Feeling a little less than sparkly this fine morning? Maybe I should make you some breakfast? A few runny eggs? Perhaps some sausage and gravy?" she asked maliciously, watching as his face seemed to grow paler.

"Baby Girl," Morgan groaned as he pressed a hand to his stomach, swallowing quickly as thoughts of food sent his stomach churning. "Have mercy. Please," he begged, his tone definitely hitting a ten on the pleading meter.

"Mercy is what I had last night," Pen replied tartly, bustling into the room, her footsteps stomping loudly across the floor. "And before you start trying to tell me that chocolate ice cream is best, I should tell you that you need to adjust the thermostat on your freezer. There's not a lot of fun a chica can have with a puddle of melted goo," she imparted, wriggling her eyebrows as she waited for him to get the picture.

"Aaarrgghh," Morgan groaned, scrubbing his hands over his gritty eyes. "Mama, I can't begin to say I'm sorry for last night. I had no business dumping on you like that...especially when I knew you were with van-...I mean, Kevin."

"Oh, so you remembered, huh?" Penelope grunted, one arm akimbo on her hip. Picking up a throw pillow from her recliner, she tossed it toward Morgan, aiming for a part of his anatomy that had been less than cooperative the night before. "Might wanna cover up. Wee Willie Winkie is beginning to make his presence known."

Eyes widening comically, Derek dropped his eyes to his naked lap. "Shit! How long were you gonna let me sit like that, Sweetness?"

"Hey, you didn't mind showing off your pudding pop last night," Penelope shrugged, reminding herself that she was determined to make him suffer as long as possible. "I figured your modesty had gone the way of the dinosaur. You know, extinct," she teased, fighting a grin as she schooled her features.

Reddening, Derek squeezed his eyes closed, a very unusual wave of embarrassment flooding over him. "Baby Girl..."

"Oh, don't worry," Penelope snorted, waving a hand in the air with a regal dismissal, "Your honor is still intact. Seems your ice cream cone had a difficult time remaining frozen," she chortled, wriggling her brows in great amusement.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hello, readers! We're ba-ak. And we got a considerable amount of writing done over the weekend. Please enjoy the following chapter and let us know what you think. Thanks for reading!**

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Seven**

"Hey! Wait just a minute!" Morgan yelled suddenly, jerking his head up, eyes wide and indignant. "I'll have you know that my flag's never had a problem staying up the pole before and it doesn't now!"

Cocking one perfectly arched brow, Penelope glared pointedly at his pillow-covered lap as she responded, "Falling asleep in the middle of the flag-raising ceremony might have something to do with the collapse, there, soldier. And quit mixing your metaphors. We're talking about ice cream, remember?"

His eyes holding hers, he had the good manners to at least look chagrinned as he moaned, pressing his hands over his face, "Oh, tell me it ain't so. Tell me it ain't so."

"Now would I lie to you, Sunshine?" Garcia asked, grinning widely.

"I am so, so sorry, Pen," he muttered, peeking at her through his spread fingers. Damn, he thought suddenly, she looked gorgeous at whatever ungodly hour this was. Even in his hung over state, he wasn't so splattered that he couldn't recognize that!

"What exactly are you sorry for, Derek? Invading my apartment in the middle of the night with the intentions of enticing me to taste your special brand of hot chocolate or leaving me stranded in the middle of the ice cream exchange?" she asked with a serious face, hiding her grin once again. Shaking her head in mock dismay, she tsked, "Hmmmm. Decisions, decisions."

"I swear to God, Baby Girl, my ice cream's never had a problem staying in the cone before," Derek moaned, rubbing a hand over his bald head. Shifting on the couch as he judiciously adjusted the pillow over his lap, he groaned, wincing as he slammed his eyes shut, "What the hell did Joe give me last night?"

"Oh, don't blame our resident Irish barman," Penelope snorted, wagging her finger in his direction. "According to him, you showed up last night demanding to forget all things vanilla. You wouldn't even accept a simple beer. You kept demanding all the exotic drinks with the crazy, strange names. In multiples." Dropping onto the couch beside her naked colleague, Penelope quirked a blonde brow as she poked his shoulder. "What's the deal, Peaches? Spill it."

"Uhmmm, Sweetness, do you think it'd be okay if we waited to have this conversation. Like after I've downed a couple pots of coffee?" Morgan asked hopefully, cracking one lid to look blearily at his best friend.

"You mean after you've had time to work out some excuse?" Penelope asked sagely, her lips quirking from side to side. "Not freaking likely. What the hell's up with you, Derek?"

"I got jealous," Derek confessed miserably, deciding that he might as well tell her the truth, having already determined that she was unlikely to let up until she got it. "And I acted like an idiot. Can we leave it there?"

"Nope," Penelope replied readily, tapping his shoulder with a well-manicured nail. "What do you have to be jealous about? Last I checked, you don't exactly live the life of a Gregorian monk," Pen snorted, arching a brow as she stared at him..

"But none of those chicks were ever serious, Mama. Not like...." Derek grimaced, shaking his head as he tried to mentally erase those pictures of her from his memory banks. But his attempt at imitating a human Etch-a-Sketch failed mightily, his mind still throwing up the sight of her with that other man.

"Like what?" Pen asked quietly.

"Not like your vanilla boy toy...Kevin," Morgan replied, the name literally sending his stomach into a freefall, his gullet meeting his toes in zero point three seconds.

"And this just started bothering you?" Pen asked incredulously, looking at him in disbelieving amazement.

"He's not going away," Derek muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I figured when you started up with White Bread, he had a week, two, tops, in him. But he's like the gum on the bottom of your shoe...no matter how hard I scrub, that shit just sticks around!"

"Kevin is a good guy, Derek," Penelope said with quiet dignity, her eyes narrowing. "What you see is what you get."

"Unlike me, his polar opposite," Derek grunted uncharitably.

"I didn't say that," Penelope huffed. "It's just...there's never been any question how Kevin felt about me. He's straight forward."

"A real Boy Scout," Derek muttered, the words hardly a compliment from his lips, his thoughts not leaning toward flattering remarks and kind words when it came to the man he considered his opponent in the affections of the fair maiden.

"Kevin and I are over, Morgan," Penelope said quietly, her eyes glued onto a speck on the side wall just over his shoulder. "Something was definitely off if I could respond to you like I did last night. I don't deny that. But I won't listen to you badmouth a decent guy....let alone a decent guy that treated me well."

"When haven't I treated you good, Sweetness?" Derek asked, mildly offended at the implications of her tone.

Slowly sliding her eyes back to his, Penelope murmured, "Derek, I didn't say you'd treated me badly. But, good God, I've endured six years of mixed signals. Do you blame me for going toward the guy flashing a big neon sign proclaiming his feelings? I'm thirty-three years old. I'd like a little stability in my life. And you haven't exactly ever offered it to me, have you?" Penelope questioned, blunting the harsh question with a soft smile.

"What if I did?" Derek asked, shifting beside her, his heart starting to flutter in a very unexpected beat.

"What if you did what?" Pen asked cautiously, her eyes widening moment by moment as she wondered if he was indeed asking what she thought he might be.

"What if I offered you that stability? Would you give me a chance to be that steadfast guy?" Derek asked solemnly.

Rolling her bright eyes, Penelope tilted her head as she gently cupped Morgan's cheek. "Do you realize I've been in love with you since the day that you walked into the bullpen and called me by the wrong name? Do you have any idea how long I've waited to hear you ask that question?"

"Probably as long as I've waited to ask it," Derek whispered, meeting her gaze with apologetic eyes. "But I'm nowhere near good enough for you, Sweetness."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: The next chapter will be rated "M". Thanks!**

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Eight**

"I think that's for me to determine, don't you, Derek?" Penelope asked, stroking her thumb against his skin, reveling in the warm texture. "And seeing as how I've always considered myself to be a darn good judge of character, I'd say that I should get what I want."

"Baby Girl, you don't know what you're asking for," he moaned, his eyes closing as he leaned into her touch. Sighing, he reached up, wrapping his hand around her cool, long fingers, lacing them with his as he pulled them to his lap. "What if I can't be what you want? I can't be van…"

"Stop right there, Derek Morgan," Penelope interrupted, her tone gentle but determined as she tightened her fingers around his. "Just because a girl takes a bite or two of a certain flavor doesn't mean that's what she wants for the rest of her life."

"The same could be true the other way around, too, Princess," Derek replied seriously, squeezing her fingers, carefully searching her deep dark eyes. "I might not be what you want forever. And I don't think I could take it if you made that decision after we take the next step."

Cocking her head to the side, her reddish-blond hair falling to the side, Penelope shook her head as she said, her eyes wide, "Don't you get it, Derek? You're the flavor I've been waiting for all along. I just never let myself believe that it was going to show up on my ice cream cone."

"Oh, Mama," Derek whispered, cradling her face as he grinned wickedly, a sigh of relief flooding through him, "I always wanted it to be my ice cream cone you were licking."

"YOU are a deviant, Derek Morgan," Garcia laughed, resting her forehead against his, her breath mixing with his as their lips were separated by just mere inches.

"One of the reasons that you find me attractive," Morgan replied easily, sliding his hands down to cup her hips and shift her into his lap. "So what do you think, Baby Girl? Are you willing to try one last flavor of ice cream?"

"I've always heard that once you try the dark chocolate, you're hooked," Penelope said quietly, snuggling against his muscled form. "But before I say yes, I need to know that I'm not gonna constantly be stepping on a steady stream of your former jelly beans," she said, staring into his dark eyes.

"I'm done playing around with jelly beans, M&Ms, Skittles and every other candy on the market, Mama. I swear," Derek vowed solemnly, shaking his head as he slid his hands soothingly against her full body. "The only sweet thing I want is the one I'm holding right now."

"You sure. I've been told I can be quite the jawbreaker," she winked, pressing a kiss to his jaw.

"Sweetness, you enjoy looking at my handsome grill too much to mar it," he preened, sliding his arms around her.

"Not if I catch you sampling other treats from the candy dish, I won't," Penelope warned, shifting in his lap as the pillow covering him toppled to the side.

Cupping a hand around the nape of her neck, Derek guided her eyes back to his. "There's nothing in that dish that I haven't already sampled, Penelope. You either for that matter. I know what I want. It might have taken me a long time to admit it...to you...to myself...but I always knew what I wanted. Do you?"

"I want my chocolate ice cream cone," Penelope whispered, sliding a soft hand between them to cup him, his heaviness filling her small hand. "In all its frozen glory."

Groaning as he felt her warm, capable fingers stroking his length, Derek arched against her hand with a moan. "Damn, Mama, you don't play fair."

"I'm playing to win this time," Pen shrugged, leaning against him as her breath fanned his lips. "You've just never seen my game strategy."

"Take no prisoners, huh?" Derek gasped heavily as her thumb swept against his weeping tip and his hands separated the folds of her robe. Groaning as his hands suddenly made contact with warm, bare flesh, Morgan groaned, "You mean to tell me that you've been naked under there all along?"

"Complaining?" Penelope asked, nibbling at the strong column of his neck, slipping the flat of her tongue against the strong sinew that corded under his skin. "Really? After I had to watch this hard, naked body sleeping it off on my couch all friggin' night? You're lucky I didn't jump your bones in your sleep, Hot Stuff. Around four am, you rose to the full occasion if you catch my drift," she said, squeezing him gently in the palm of her hand. "I definitely had to fight the urge to climb your flagpole."

Sliding her robe off her shapely shoulders, Derek ran heated eyes over her exposed flesh, the side lamp glimmering off her pale skin. "I oughta be shot for last night." Stroking a finger over one aroused rosy nipple, he asked huskily, "Have you been like this all night, Sweetness?" Darting his tongue out to stroke the tip, he grinned as her nipple pebbled harder against his wet tongue.

"Uh huh," Pen confirmed on a squeak, wriggling in his lap as she thrust her breasts toward his lips, literally craving his touch. "I'd say you owe me," she declared breathlessly, her fingers clenching on his firm biceps as his lips gently nibbled at one breast.

"I'd say you're right," Derek nodded, sliding his hands across her quivering belly. "Have I ever told you how much I love your curves, Mama?" he whispered against her neck, biting her throat gently. "All these gentle swells," he murmured, sliding his hand down her abdomen. Dipping his fingers into her heat, he growled against her ear, "All these moist caves."

"Oh, God," Pen groaned, her head dropping back as he slowly dipped two fingers into her, curling as he stroked gently. "Derek, don't tease," she begged, thrusting her hips against his agile hand.

Using his thumb to slowly circle her straining bud as she bucked in his arms, Morgan grinned. "Baby Girl, I'm not teasing. Teasing would be if I did this," he said darkly, slowly pulling his fingers away to bring them to his lips.

Watching with wide eyes as his dark fingers disappeared between his lips, Pen moaned, the sound echoing in the otherwise quiet room. Shivering as she heard him hum his approval, she slid her hand against his length again. "You're an evil man, Derek Morgan," she whispered, breathing hard as she watched him lick his lips.

"Sweetness, you haven't seen evil yet," he promised, slowly leaning forward to firmly capture her lips with his.


	9. Chapter 9

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Nine**

"Based on last night's performance, I'm afraid you're gonna have to put your money where your mouth is," Penelope smiled against his lips, shimmying her body against him as she sighed appreciatively.

"Baby, that'd be considered solicitation considering the position we're in right now," Morgan teased, nibbling her neck, grinning as she shuddered when his teeth slid against her sensitive skin.

"Oh, I plan on making you pay for the years you made me wait, Hot Stuff," Pen threatened breathlessly, turning her head to capture his earlobe between her teeth and nipping playfully. "But it's not your cash that I want," she whispered against his ear as she rose to stand before him, her robe draping open at her sudden movement, revealing naked flesh to his exceedingly hungry eyes. Smirking, Pen tilted her head as she watched his eyes openly devour her. "Ready to pay the pied piper, Big Man?"

"Just name your price, Baby Girl," Morgan grinned wickedly as he rose from the sofa, his muscled body hard and ready for whatever demands she might think of making. "Sky's the limit," he winked, sliding his arms around her hips as he backed her toward the bedroom, dropping playful kisses against the tip of her nose.

"Hmmm," Penelope hummed, gazing up at him as he guided her backwards past the beaded partition separating her living room from her bedroom, "that's like offering a shopoholic a black Amex card. I want it all," she replied as the back of her knees hit the soft mattress of her bed, bringing them to a sudden halt.

"Mama, I'd even be willing to offer a money-back guarantee on what's about to go down in this room," Derek offered generously, brushing his lips against the sensitive slope of her neck.

Moaning as his sure hands slid her soft robe of her shoulders, Pen felt the material pool around her bare feet. Shivering in the dim bedroom before him, she held her breath as his warm hands ghosted down her arms. "Derek," she whispered shakily as his hands moved to weigh her heavy breasts, his calloused thumbs strumming against their puckered tips.

"Uh, uh, Princess. I've waited a long, long time to make your body mine. I'm going to absorb every second of the experience and then come back and do it again. No rushed loving for you," he promised huskily, watching his fingers move across her milky white skin, the contrast mesmerizing him.

"We could take our time the second time around," Pen suggested with breathless hopefulness, sinking her teeth into her lower lip as she watched his bald head descending toward her twin globes.

"Forget it, Sweetness," Derek breathed, leisurely swiping his tongue against her nipple, the sensitive skin pebbling beneath his touch. "I'll be taking my time then, too," he vowed, wrapping his lips around her ripe peak and pulling at it tenderly.

"Ahhh," Pen moaned, feeling the tug of his mouth all the way to her clit, her moist heat moving into a slow boil at his every move.

Working his tongue against her nipple, Derek smoothed his fingertips down her sides, feeling her quiver as she leaned more heavily against him as her hands moved to cradle his head. Turning his head to offer her neglected breast equal treatment, his fingers reached her thighs. "Spread you legs, Baby Girl. Let me see how wet you are," he demanded around her nipple, as his fingers walked up the inside of her thigh, slowly creeping toward her drenched lips.

"God, Derek," Penelope gasped, feeling the slow slide of one finger part her wet folds, her knees quaking beneath her. "You're killing me."

"Mmmmm," he hummed, pressing an openmouthed kiss to her belly as he moved his fingers slowly against her soft curls, teasing her soft, slick flesh lightly. "I have every intention of us both traveling to heaven, Penelope. God, baby, you're steaming," he breathed, moving his fingers back and forth, purposefully avoiding her clit.

"Derek," Pen whined, wriggling against him, trying to bring those stroking digits to her throbbing center. "Touch me," she growled in frustration.

"Where, baby?" he asked innocently, smoothly sliding a finger into her depths. "Here?"

"Ah," Pen groaned, her head falling back as she felt him penetrate her. "More," she sighed, thrusting her hips forward as he blew lightly on her core.

Finally, slowly circling his thumb over her clit as he added another finger to her heat and watched it disappear, only to reappear a moment later, glistening with her juices, he grinned at her high keen. "I like that, Baby Girl. Let me hear that sweet sound again," he ordered huskily, moving his mouth to her hip, nipping her gently as he applied a little more pressure to her hard little nub.

"Derek!" Pen gasped, knees buckling as sensation washed over her in pounding waves, her vision blurring uncontrollably as she grasped tightly to his muscled shoulders.

Wrapping a hard arm around her hips, Derek held her steady as he rose to look in her eyes, keeping his other hand working her mound. "Lie down, Baby," he whispered, guiding her backwards as he continued working her fevered flesh. Following her down on the bed, he hovered over her, exchanging deep, wet kisses with her, their tongues mating carnally as his hand pumped against her.

"God, Derek!" Pen panted against his lips, pulling back for air as her hips lifted and fell against the bed. Reaching down to grasp his hard cock in the palm of her hand, she moaned. "God, you're so hard...so big," she murmured, lifting her head to kiss him again as she felt the silky moisture of his need sliding over her palm.

"All for you, Mama," he growled, his neck cording as she pumped her hand up and down his straining dick. "You want it, Angel?" he asked roughly. "How bad do you want my cock, Sweetness?" he asked, bending his head to suck her nipple as his nimble fingers worked her clit.

"I want you inside me. Now, Derek!" Pen demanded hoarsely, pulling his body down to hers as she wrapped her legs around his hips.

Nudging her entrance, Derek sipped at her lips, watching her face, her eyes closed, her cheeks flushed. "Look at me, Penelope," he whispered, smiling as her passion clouded eyes fluttered, staring up at him. Sliding slowly inside her tight body, he groaned as her body encased him. "I love you," he whispered as he finally buried his body in her to the hilt.

"I love you, too," Penelope smiled up at him, her body deliciously full with his very essence. "Now, Handsome," she said, squirming beneath his weight, "do us both a favor and move that lusciously lickable ass of yours."

"Yes, ma'am," he grinned down at her as he claimed her lips in another flaming kiss, his body moving at her exact orders. "I love it when you get bossy!"


	10. Chapter 10

**_Author's Note: Many thanks to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, alerting and favoriting this story. My co-author and I truly appreciate hearing from our readers in whatever capacity you care to contact us. It's a very rewarding experience to know that people are enjoying something you produce. For those of you that follow our stories, this will be the last posting until Sunday night/Monday morning. We're going to take a couple of days and try to get some hard core writing done for you. As ever, any of you that have plot bunnies running around in your head that you don't particularly want to right, but would love to see...shoot them over to us. We're always looking for fresh ideas. And, as much as we'd like to say we did, we don't own Criminal Minds. _**

**Choose Me**

**Chapter Ten**

Rolling over onto the left side of Penelope Garcia's comfortable bed, Morgan grinned stupidly up at the low ceiling. Wiping a hand down his sweating chest, he turned to look at the panting woman beside him, his voice just a bit smug as he asked, "So was round three as good as the first two, Sweetness?"

"Let's put it this way...if we keep playing your X-rated version of "Can You Top This?", we're going to need to find a paramedic to standby outside the bedroom door," Penelope replied breathlessly, her words muffled as she sprawled on her belly, her head buried in her pillow. Turning her head slightly, she raised her eyebrow, bouncing her cheek against the cool fabric. "You realize we can't make up for six years of abstinence in one morning, right?"

Rolling toward her, Derek pressed a warm kiss between her perspiring shoulder blades, drawing in a deep breath, grinning as he asked, "You complaining, Angel? I thought you said you could keep up with anything I could dish out."

"Listen, my chocolate god of mocha love, I never professed to have had any contortionist abilities," she teased as she flexed her ankles, lifting her reddish-blonde head to prop her chin against her hand.

"Baby Girl, trust me, you bend in all the right places," he winked, leaning forward to kiss her delectable lips, sipping contentedly at her amazing skin.

Sighing into his mouth as she felt talented hands wandering over her bare ass, Penelope pulled away with a laugh, reaching behind her to stall his marauding palms. "Easy there, tiger, if you want another repeat performance, I'm going to have to have some serious incentive."

Wriggling his brows as he pulled his hands away from her quelling fingers, Derek gently toppled his new lover onto her back, moving to straddle her thighs. "Mmmm, Mama, I love a challenge. Lay it on me."

"I'm hungry," Pen grinned, licking her lips as she let her eyes crawl suggestively over his muscled torso, her pinky finger trailing a path over his well-defined shoulder blade. Shaking her head, she still couldn't believe that she was actually here, that this was not a dream but her new reality. Her new, welcome reality!

Glancing down his body at the swelling evidence of his unwavering arousal for the woman beneath him, he grinned wickedly. "I've definitely got a little something that could fill you up."

Smacking his naked ass sharply, Pen laughed at Derek's sharp yelp, his body bouncing in just the right places. Rolling her eyes, she explained, leaning up on her elbows, "For food, you horny hound dog!"

Shifting against her, Derek lowered his head to tease the sensitive slope of her neck, "You sure, baby? I happen to know what I'm offering is often considered a delicacy of epic proportions."

"I know. I've gorged myself on it for the last several hours," Pen laughed, her body twitching at his gentle assault. Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to push him away as she added, "And as decadently filling as it is, I still need something with a little more nutritional value."

Returning her bright smile, Derek kissed her temple as he eased off of her, the bed dipping as he rolled to the side. "Name your pleasure, Sweetness," he ordered, reaching for her robe on the floor beside the bed.

Eyes widening as Derek Morgan slipped her neon pink fluffy robe around his rock hard body, Pen bit her lip. Did she dare, she thought, eyeing the handsome man who managed to make even her ragged robe look good. And reaching a split second decision, she knew she couldn't resist, quickly reaching for her cell phone on the nightstand. Lifting it, she quickly snapped, the digital picture popping up in bright colors on the metal phone.

Looking up from tying the long sash around his waist, Derek's eyes widened as he heard the click and recognized the instrument in her hand. "You didn't?" he blushed, scrubbing a hand over his cheek, the bristles rubbing against his palm.

"I soooo did," she chortled, looking happily at the display on her phone. "It's this year's Christmas card," she declared, waving the phone at him.

"You know I'm going to get even, don't you?" he mock growled, his eyes sliding up and down her nude body. "And I'm devious."

Blowing a raspberry at him as she replaced the phone on the table, she shook her head. "I'm terrified," she said, shuddering for effect as she relaxed against the mound of pillows.

"I can tell," he muttered, bending down to kiss her deeply, his tongue sweeping against hers, still amazed that he had the right to even be in her airspace, let alone her bed. Whispering against his lips, he asked, "What do you want, Mama?"

"Surprise me," she breathed, nibbling his lower lip, trying to remember exactly why she wanted him to leave at all.

"I thought I already did," he winked, pinching her ass as he pulled away, his fingers soothing the mark with the pad of his thumb, her skin silky beneath his touch. "Be back in a minute," he promised, sliding out of the bedroom with a wriggle of his eyebrows in her direction.

Dropping her head back against the overstuffed pillows on her bed, Penelope sighed contentedly as she heard Derek rummaging through her kitchen. God, in a few short hours, her whole world had shifted on its axis. And finally, after years of yearning, she had exactly who and what she wanted, in her bed and in her life nonetheless. When she could convince her sated body to actually move again, she was going to owe Joe a huge hug for sending her wonderful Love Muffin in her direction last night.

The sound of Derek's returning footsteps drew her eyes toward the door and she couldn't suppress the wicked grin that teased her lips as she saw what he held in his hands. "Seriously?" she laughed, happily eyeing the contents of the carton he held in front of him.

"Told you last night, Sweetness, chocolate ice cream is always the way to go when you've got a choice," he winked, sliding the metal spoon into the creamy confection as he walked toward the bed, swirling the ice cold dessert in preparation for the coming moment.

Holding the spoon aloft, he watched as her pink tongue slid out, scooping the sweet treat from the utensil. "Tell me that's not the best flavor in the world?" he ordered huskily as she moaned softly, her lips wrapping around the spoon.

Meeting his dark eyes, Penelope shook her head as she let the amazing sweet cream slide down her tongue, bathing her throat in melting coolness. "Correction, Hot Stuff, it's the only flavor in my world from this moment forward."

"Now that's what I like to hear," Morgan grinned, leaning forward to kiss the sweet lips of the woman that had singlehandedly turned a solitary player into a one-woman man. The taste of chocolate cream clung to her tongue as her arms slid around his shoulders, their bodies once again gravitating toward one another as the flame grew stronger.

And long, heated minutes later, the melting ice cream puddled on the edges of the hastily discarded cardboard container. The dark chocolate dripped against the pristine sheets, completely unnoticed, as the loving couple once again devoted themselves to discovering exactly how tasty new love could be.

_**finis**_


End file.
